COME WHAT MAY

CHAPTER THREE

The Pastor's words about God's everlasting love on Sunday fell on deaf ears. Lolita was tired of praying and begging God to soften her father's heart and to sort things out with him. Her heart ached as she thought of Romans 8: 35

"...what can separate us from the love of Christ?"

Lolita sat alone under a tree after the church service and poured her heart out to God. It has been three years since her Grandmother died. Three years of abuse, insults and reproach. "Lord Jesus, why are you allowing me to suffer like this? Someone who loved me more than life itself now hates me with an intense passion. I can't stand the pain anymore. I feel like I'm dying slowly. Won't you come in and save me? Won't you send your angels to help me?"

"There you are." It was a female voice. Standing beside her was her second best friend of ten years Lorato Mosimanegape who had noticed her once vibrant friend was in low spirit of late. She had tried and failed to find out what was wrong. As she saw the tears in her friend's eyes she decided enough was enough.

"I am going to report you to your mum Lolly."

"I am not a kid anymore!" Lolita snapped.

"Tell me what is happening to you or I will tell your parents!" Lorato threatened.

Lolita laughed bitterly, "Go ahead and add petrol to the fire." Her friend was not offended.

"So are your parents the cause of your heart ache?"

Just then a medium height lady walked towards them. She had a lovely brown skin and eyes that accentuated her looks. She was Desire, the bride to be and best friend number one. The three were inseparable and even Desire's upcoming wedding and marriage could pull them apart.

"Thought I might find you here. What is your excuse for skipping the rehearsals yesterday?"

Lolita got up, dusted her dress and sighed.

"I had a date." Her two friends gasped in shock. A date? Lolita had never even once gone on a date in her entire life. The guy must be even more special than her first love.

"I will be getting a brother in law?" Desire asked in excitement.

"No. I turned him down." Lolita replied softly.

"Why?" Desire and Lorato cried in unison.

"It's an arranged marriage girls. My father was the mastermind."

"Your Dad? So not true! Your dad who wants you to get married at 35 when you have obtained your PHD. No ways!!!" Lorato said in disbelief. "You are his princess and the apple of his eye." She added with a short laugh.

Before Lolita could respond her phone began to ring. She could not recognise the number but picked up anyway.

"Hello."

"Daddy's girl. Blessed Sunday to you."

Lolita's face lit up with recognition. "Dr. Johnson."

Her friends drew closer to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I want us to meet."

"Why?"

"I'm leaving for Canada tomorrow night."

"Okay." She said softly

"Is that all you are going to say?" He sounded disappointed.

"What else should I say? I don't know you. Please get off my back." She replied.

"I just wanted to leave you with this scripture. John 14:27. Read it and I believe God is saying something about your situation." Lolita did not reply so he continued.

"Everything happens for a reason and I believe God brought us together through our parents." Lolita rolled her eyes and said her goodbyes.

"Was that your date? Why are you so mean? At this rate you will never find anyone to marry you." Desire said with her hands on her hips.

Lolita ignored her friends and walked towards her parent's car. They didn't follow her as they spotted her father just nearby.

"Daddy's girl." Desire muttered under her breath.

On her arrival she found one of the brothers at church chatting with her father. She sighed as she realised it was the Accountant she turned down his marriage proposal about a month back. One of the most eligible bachelors at church...all thanks to his love for God, his bank account and his good looks. But she was not interested in all that. Sometimes she wondered if she was normal at all. Which girl in her right mind wouldn't jump at such a wonderful opportunity?

Her father beamed with joy when he saw her. Of course! He must put on a good show for the rest of the world.

"Lolly darling, Denise was just telling me he still wants to marry you. Your mother and I agreed to pray about it some more." Lolita felt like strangling the life out of Denise. She already rejected his proposal, what else does he want? She gave him a fake smile and greeted him sweetly.

"I will call you." Denise said sweetly.

Don't even think about it!!!

"Sure." Lolita replied with a smile.

He walked away after shaking hands with her father.

"Another prospective suitor Lolita. Don't let him slip away." Prof. Badmus said in a stern voice. He glared hard at her and left her standing all alone.

"God, you really hate me." She muttered as her chest tightened in grief.

Lolita brought out her Varsity photo album. Her heart was aching after seeing her father's perfect pretenses at church. How long was he going to hate her? She decided to cheer herself up through going down memory lane. It has been long since she prayed that God make her to stop loving her ex-best friend Chidi Chukwuka. They had met at the first day of orientation as they were accepted into the same faculty and had hit it off ever since. They studied together, prayed and attended church services together and even did shopping together. They shared each other's pain, joy and secrets. Some of their friends even tease them believing they would get married. Chidi was fond of calling her "Lollipop." It annoyed her at first but she soon got over it and found it cute.

He was tall, dark, handsome, God-fearing and hard working. Everything she wanted in a man. Her parents loved him to bits and so does his family as well. Then in their final year, Chidi began to avoid her like the plague of Egypt. He stopped picking her calls, did not reply her messages and shunned her at every given opportunity. She remembered clearly that during their last semester, he changed his contact number and worse when she tried to take pictures with him at graduation he told her, "get out of my face."

She thrived on seeing his face every day. She lived for his smiles, jokes, hugs and companionship. Lolita could not fathom what caused the change but now as she is experiencing another heartache and betrayal from the father she loves, she came to the conclusion that she might be cursed. Why would people's love for her just turn to hate?

"Lord, I thank you for answering me concerning Chidi. I can now think about him without getting bitter or disappointed. I believe there must be a very good explanation for what he did. I just wish I know what it was so I could stop wondering and worrying about it. Lord, do you think my heart will betray me and beat when I see him in the future?" She closed the photo album. He was probably back in Nigeria now with his family. She paced around her large room and looked around. Her queen sized bed was neatly made and covered with a brown and grey coloured blanket. Her walls were painted a light shade of green with white lace curtains gracing her windows. She was twenty-six years old and without direction. She will find a way out of this mess with her father and she knows exactly what to do. Her pain will end, not tomorrow but today.

Hours later, Ryan sat down on the sofa in his bedroom trying to figure out how to convince Lolita that he meant no harm. Behind her smile and laughter, he could see intense pain and a little bit of bitterness in her eyes and it seemed she was having issues with her father. He prayed in his heart that God heals her broken heart soon, so that she could hear him out on what he wants to tell her about their future...together. 😊

F6/A